Method of making footwear



F. A. JOSEPH. vMmmm or MAKINGy FOOTWEAR.

l lAPPLICATION FILED MAY 7,'1920.` 1,382,649.

Patented June 28, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- am Am UNITED STATES,"

v*l'rx'rnlvr OFFICE.

FRANK A.JosnPHl,-or NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, Ass'IGNoa To L. CANDEE. & COMPANY, A- CORPORATION `or CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF .MAKING FOOTWEAR. I

- Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented June y28, 1921,

Divided andthis application filed YMay 7,1920. ser'iarNo. 379,456.

new anduseful Improvements in Methodsy of Making Footwear, of which thefollowing is a full, clear', and exact description.

This invention relates to rubber or other Vwaterproof footwear and more particularly to what are known 1n' the trade'as bootees` and Walrus, beinga division of my'prior applicationY Sr. No. 340,939, filedl November Q6, 1919.

Heretofore in the manufacture Vof this kind of footwearthe liningcut to shape was first applied to the last and then the' quarters and gusset 4pieces* were applied. After the complete assemblage ofthe shoe and its vulcanization, and in order to ystri'p'th'e boot from the last, the lining had to be out a considerable distance at each'side from the upper edge downward and forward, to where the gusset disappears or blends into the quarters. These two cuts, Vone on each side of theshoe and in the lining only, were extremely diflicult to make after the vulv canization of the shoe and while it was still on the last. Sometimes the cutting tool was inadvertently projected through the superimposed quarters. And while it lwas absolutely necessary to cut the lining to .remove the bootee from the last, it left a weak place at the bottom or disappearing point of the gusset. urthermore the edges of the lining had to be subsequently trimmed to make the article neat enough to satisfy the demands rof the trade and even after Vtrimming a ridge was left on each side of the pocket or gusset. A Y 4 The presentA invention aims'l to' improve rubber footwear havingfoldable orfexpansible It see s to avoid the weak apex inthe old gusset construction, toeliminate the flank'- ing ridges or seams, and thereby lto im`l prove both the appearance' and the durability of thearticle. It also eliminates entirely the operation of cutting the inner `lining in order to remove the-shoe from the last and topermit the gussets to function'in the completed article which operationfwasnot only diiiicult but also resultedinthe ruin of many shoes otherwise satisfactory andl marketable.

ortions known; as pockets or 'gussets The method of the present invention also enables the outer wall portions of the shoe upper, usually inthe form of quarters, to be assembled on the liningalong with'the gus sets while the Vseveral parts are in a substantially flat condition. i

Gusseted foot\vear according to the pres'- ent invention has an linnerliningin one'or more` sections whichiscontinuous and unbrokeirat and adjacent the fold lines in the expansible portion and is preferably withoutv a break in its continuity from ,a line well within' the margin ofrthe gusset to a line on the quarter in rear of the fold the eXpansible 'portion when in its normal folded condition. VIn the manufacture of the articlesthe gusseltsA and quarters are prefer# ably appliedtofthe lining to formv the up-v per complete and'the'n mounted on a last or tree'. -After this. the' shoe is completelyfasand before vulcani'zation the gussets are temporarily securedv in the folded condition desired in the finished articles. Then the lshoes are vulcanized. the gussets are freed 'or released and the rarticle is removed from the last without any difiiculty and without seam or break in the lining at or adjacent the fold lines in the gussets. Y

These are the objects of the present inlvention and other objects thereof will ap-KV pear'in the description of the embodiment After vulcanization of'the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings Iin which: p l Figure l is a plan view of a substantially complete upper as it appears from theV interior when flattenedfout and shows the superimposed relation of ^the inner lining, interlining, quarters, and gusset halves the plies of one lside being stripped back toshowthe .relation thereof.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section through a completed shoe midway` the length of the gussets.'Y y y f Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a shoe partly in vertical section. s 4'F ig. 4 isa perspective showing howl the gusset is temporarily strapped to the last in ai folded condition.' A

y The drawing [shows a, preferred emboc iment of the invention calculated toy meet present demandsof the trade.` In the preferred embodiment the lining is made in' of the finished article.

sections l and 2 which are lapped and seamed at the front and rear median `lines Quarters 3y and 4, preferably but not necessarily .provided with reinforcing interlinings 5 and 6 are joined to gusset halves 7 and 8 to form fastening flies 9 and 10, which may be eyeletted as shown to receive laces or which may have buckles or other fastening devices applied thereto. A' toe lining (not shown), vamp 12, front stay 13, tap sole M and heel 15 with a few other parts of Well-known form complete the make-up of the shoe. v

' The parts are assembled in the following manner: The lining sections are first cut to shape and notched or otherwise marked at the points 16, 18, 17 and 19 to indicate Where adhesive-tabs 20, 21 are to be attached and the gussets folded ina subsequent operation. The rear edges of the lining sections 1 and 2 are lap' seamed together as indicated at 22. The quarters 3-4 with interlining 5 -6 and a'counter 23 are then assembled on the 1ining 1-2 together with the gussethalf sections 7-2-8, the gusset halves being joined d1- i'ectly to the front edges of the quarters and for some little distance inward to form the fastening flies 9-.-10, While the intermediate portions of the quarters and half gussets are stuckto the lining sections directly. Preff erably, however,the frontV freemargins of the'inner lining and of the gusset halves are .,'left unsecured as shown in Fig. 1at the. right lso that when the thus completed upper is mounted on a last and the toe lining and vamp thenassembled, the front edges of the inner lining may be lapped directly o'n eachy other as shown at 24 Fig. 2 and the front edges of the gusset halves may be seamed together in abutting or lapped relation. This serves to break the several joints and to give strength at the front median line of the upper VWhich may be further strengthened venient time. The tabs are preferably of they short' length' shovvnso as not to `interfere with manipulation in the assemblage of yparts'but they may be made longer if de-l and a -finished appearance imparted by applying a front reinforcing stay 13.Y

Friction tabs 20, 21 and 25 are located between the lining and the outer Wear portions of the upper. This is preferably done after seaming thelining sections 1 and 2 together at the rear but-it maybe done at any consired. If the tabsare made short as shown other pieces of friction tape are adhered to them and so lengthened the tabs are drawn tight about the last, tab 25 at the rear center being pulled diametrically over the top of the last-26 and adhered to the front median line of the gusset While tabs 20 and 21 are pulled'backwardly'around the sides of the last' and adhered to the tab25 adjacent its A junction with the lining at the rear. In this 'Way each Vgusset is held folded'during vu'lcanization in the conditionl desired in the finished articles,- vulcanizationof course effecting a more lor less permanentset or iXation of the goods.

When the footwear has been completelyk assembled, that is When the tap sole foxings and other component parts have beenv put together `on the last and theuvariousseams rolled or stitched together, the articles are vulcanized in any suitable manner. After the articles have been vulcanized and are practically ready for the Vmarket theopera` tor has'merely to break the tabs to remove soV tionsr of each gusset'where, in removing the vulcanized article from the last or indonning or doling tootwear in use, the article 1s subjected to great strain. The continuity of the lining sections of Athe quarters Where they overlie the folds in theV gifissetinuse (which will -be' clear" from a Vscrutiny of Fig. 2) also insures Vcomfort in Wear and enhances the appearance of the article. And continuity of theV Alining sections also avoids the Weak and lumpy seams of 'prior footwear, vof the same type. In the method the tedious, dilicult, unsatisfactory and ruin-v ous operation of cutting a continuous lining of exactly the same lengthffrornY front to back as the last according to the prior practice has'beenavoided and eliminated. The necessity of trimming V'theiirst cut, which was necessarily ragged,jso as to finish the seam neatly has alsobeen avoided.

The foregoing relates to a method of manufacture which I prefer but 'it is to be distinctly understood that the inventionfi's not limited to described details thereof. The inner lining for instance could be Vmade in one piece or in `more than two pieces but for reasons such as Waste in cutting andadditional operations these alternatives are not at present deemed desirable. The particular vform of the upper'A is also immaterial. Instead of vtvvo quartersvvvith, attached half gussets it might be possible to vform the outer Wear' p orbroadly as understood, is thought Yto 4reside in the elimination of seams or ridges, particularly inthe vicinity of the folds of the gusi set and in the idea of temporarily holding the gussets folded during the vulcanization the completed upper, after the upper has been positioned `onV the last. Another imof the article and preferably also during the assemblageofthe toe lining and vamp Vvon.

portant principle of the method involved in the present invention is in the assemblage of the gusset halves and quarters on the lining while in a lsubstantially at Condition which is valuable because the parts may be put together in the right position by operators less skilled and less expensive than lastmen. Obviously the tabs for holding the gussets folded may be applied at other times and to other parts than those mentioned without departure from the principles of this invention whose scope should be ascertained by reference to the claims.

And while the method of the present invention is of especial value in the manufacture of footwear without a seam or 'jointin the lining adjacent the fold or folds in its expansible portion, some of the advantages in the method would be realized in temporarily holding the shoe folded with the lining sections applied to the upper in other ways than that described. therefore, in its broadest aspect would comprehend lining the component parts of the upper according to the old practice, that is to say, separately lining the quarters and gusset.

Having thus described my invention what Iclaim and desire toprotect by Letters Pat-V ent is l. In the manufacture of rubber'lfootwear having foldable portions, assembling the up'- per forming parts including the -foldable portions olf the last, mounting the upper thus asembied on alast, completing the assemblage of the parts of the article on the last, temporarily securing the folded portions in their final position, subsequently vulcanizing the articles, and thereafter freeing the foldable portions ofthe upper.

2. In the manufacture of rubber footwear having gussets, assemblingthe upper form- The invention, v

ing parts including outer rubberized p0rtions and gussets in a fiat condition, mounting the upper thus far assembled on a last, completing the assemblage of the footwear on the last, temporarily securing the gussets foldedvin the condition desired in the finished footwear, subsequently vulcanizing the articles, and thereafter releasing the folded gussets and removing the articles from the lasts.

3. In the manufacture of rubber footwear with foldable gussets, shaping half lining sections, indicating thereon lines of gusset fold, securing the lining sections together, assembling quarters and gusset portions on the inner lining thus formed, mounting the upper thus far formed on a last, completing the article on the last and securing the gusset temporarily folded, subsequently vulcanizing the article, and finally releasing the folded gusset and removing the article from the last.

t. In the manufacture of rubber footwear having one or more gussets, vassembling the component parts of the article on a last, temporarily securing the gussets folded before vvulcanization in the position desired in the finished article, and subsequently vulaniZ- ing the article while the gussets are held temporarily folded. l

5. In the manufacture of rubber footwear having one or more gussets, assembling the component parts of the article on a last, attaching tabs to the gussets and anchoring the tabs to hold the gussets folded in substantially wearing position on the last, and subsequently vulcanizing the article while the gussets are held folded.

Signed at New Haven, Connecticut, this 4th day of May, 1920.

FRANK A. JOSEPH. 

